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Israeli Forward Red Carded for Gun Gesture in UEFA Nations League Loss to Austria
Israeli forward Saied Abu Farchi was sent off after celebrating a goal with a gun-like gesture using a corner flag during Israel's 3-1 UEFA Nations League defeat to Austria on September 24, 2026. The 20-year-old received a second yellow card and red card in the 55th minute, leaving Israel to play with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
Quick Facts
- Abu Farchi scored a goal to equalize the match
- Abu Farchi grabbed corner flag and mimicked firing a rifle during celebration
- Referee issued second yellow card and red card
- Israel reduced to 10 players
- Austria scored two additional goals in final stages
Related Insights
Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi receives bizarre red card for rifle celebration with corner flag… fast_soccer_news · YouTube
Saied Abu Farchi, a 20-year-old forward for Israel, was sent off in the 55th minute of a UEFA Nations League match against Austria at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on September 24, 2026. Abu Farchi had just headed the ball into the net to equalize the score at 1-1, after Austria had taken the lead through a Romano Schmid penalty before halftime. During his celebration, Abu Farchi ran to the corner flag, grabbed it, and made a gesture simulating the firing of a rifle.
Referee Georgi Kabakov issued Abu Farchi a second yellow card for the celebration, resulting in a red card and dismissal. The player had received his first caution four minutes earlier. The dismissal left Israel to play with 10 players for the remainder of the match. Under football's official rules, a player may be booked for a goal celebration deemed to be provocative, derisory, or inflammatory.
Austria capitalized on the numerical advantage to secure a 3-1 victory. Phillipp Mwene scored in the 90th minute following a cross from Paul Wanner, and Sasa Kalajdzic added a third goal in stoppage time from close range. The incident generated significant social media discussion, with observers divided on whether the referee's application of the rules was proportionate, though many acknowledged that match officials were enforcing established regulations governing player conduct during celebrations.
Topics
Why This Matters
A player's dismissal in the 55th minute reduced Israel to 10 players for the remainder of a competitive UEFA Nations League match, directly affecting the team's ability to defend and creating tactical disadvantage during the final stages. Austria scored two additional goals after the numerical advantage was established, affecting Israel's Nations League standings and potential qualification outcomes. The incident also illustrates practical enforcement of FIFA's celebration conduct rules, which permit referees to issue cautions for gestures deemed provocative or inflammatory regardless of intent.
Related Signals
Sources
- Israel's Sayed Abu Farhi sent off for appearing to mimic gun in goal celebrationBBCMediaSep 24, 2026
- Israel’s Saied Abu Farchi sent off for gun gesture celebration in defeat by AustriaThe GuardianMediaSep 24, 2026
- Penyerang Israel Saied Abu Farchi menerima kartu merah aneh karena selebrasi senapan dengan bendera sudut saat melawan AustriaGoal.comMediaSep 24, 2026
- Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi receives bizarre red card for rifle celebration with corner flag against AustriaGoal.comMediaSep 24, 2026
- Israel’s Abu Farchi sent off after gun gesture celebration in soccer match against AustriaThe Times of IsraelMediaSep 24, 2026
- In Austria, Israel national team player sent off for simulating a shot — Jerusalem PostUA.NEWSMediaSep 24, 2026